We're Just Huggin' Here (Pat, Pat) - 1 Samuel 18

The drama really kicks up a notch in this chapter! If David's life were a movie, his victory over Goliath would have been the action-filled, attention-grabbing opening scene. I can close my eyes and envision little David hoisting the blood-matted decapatated head of Goliath high above his head so that the Philistines could see they were doomed. (fade to black)

Chapter 18 sets the backdrop for the drama to come. Jealousy is building inside Saul's heart as he witnesses the people praising David. Jonathan, Saul's son, becomes a central character as he and David enter into a covenant friendship (more on that in a minute). We can already anticipate that this friendship will create deep tension between these three men. And finally, we see Saul trying to kill David - once in his chambers while David is playing his instrument for Saul and then when Saul sends David to the front lines hoping David will be killed in battle. (Hmmmm, sound familiar?)

Now, I'm gonna just throw this out there. In our culture, Jonathan's actions towards David seem a little on the sweet side (if ya know what I mean). First he takes off his robe and armor and gives it to David. They hug and kiss. David even compares his love for Jonathan as exceeding that of a love for a woman. (2 Samuel 1:26) Some revisionist commentators beginning in the early 1950's began to suggest that this act and other outward displays of affection were homosexual in nature. Thus, they concluded that the Bible's telling of this story condones homosexual relationships. But a closer look at Middle Eastern customs in David's time suggests otherwise.

The act of disrobing and exchanging armor and weapons was the warriors' way of displaying a loyal bond between one another. There was no sexual undertones to that ceremonial custom. In David's case, he had no armor to exchange. So, Jonathan was the only one to disrobe.

Also, the public displays of affection (man love) that the Bible refers to (namely all the kissing and hugging between David and Jonathan) were also custom between two close friends. Even today in the Middle East, close male friends greet one another with a kiss and hug which has no sexual meaning.

As to David's lament later on when Jonathan dies, his poem states that Jonathan's love surpassed the love of women. (2 Samuel 1:26) There seems to be a certain hyperbole in this poetic statement. Their friendship was so strong that David could not imagine being loved by a woman to that degree at that moment. But to read a sexual meaning into this poem by David is a bit of a stretch.

We must be careful not to pervert accounts like these when there are clear verses stating that homosexuality is an abomination to the Lord. (Lev. 18:22; 20:13) Rather, the account of David and Jonathan is one of an intimate friendship. A Friendship to which all men should aspire. David and Jonathan's relationship displayed selflessness, commitment, sacrifice, and honor. Even after Jonathan's death, David would honor and care for his friend's descendants. I wish more men in our churches would strive to have that type of friendship modeled after David and Jonathan.

One other thing I found interesting about Chapter 18 is Saul's plot to kill David. (Saul sends David to command troops on the front lines in hopes that David would be killed) It bares a striking resemblance to David's plot to kill Uriah years later after David sleeps with Uriah's wife (Bathsheba)! I guess David and Saul had more in common than what I first thought. What was the key difference? David's repentant heart. (See my previous post for more on that)

So next time you hug your buddy and give him the ol' "we're just huggin" pat on the back, give him an extra squeeze and peck on the cheek. It's ok. You won't melt.

Ok, maybe not. When in Rome...

P.S. When looking for a photo for an article on David and Jonathan, DON'T google "two men hugging"....yikes

PRAYER: Lord, please make me more selfless and trustworthy. Cultivate my friendships to reflect the qualities shown in David and Jonathan. Thank you for the friends that I do have. And if I don't have that one true friend, please place that person in my life.

These Clothes Don't Fit!! And Don't Call Me an Underdog!

I have to imagine that a few onlookers snickered when David donned Saul's battle gear as he was preparing to go out to fight Goliath. David probably reluctantly accepted the offer from Saul not wanting to offend his king. It would seem pretty obvious to everyone by the Bible's description of the two men, that the armor of Saul, who was tall and muscular, would not fit David's diminutive physique. In fact, 1 Samuel 17:38 tells us that David could barely walk in that getup!

Given the obvious disparity of size between Saul and David I can imagine Saul offering his armor for a couple of reasons:

1) Saul was simply trying to redicule David and humiliate him in front of the royal family and guard. I am sure Saul was already embarrassed that none of his valiant men, including himself were courageous enough to go out and face Goliath;

2) Saul was giving David a chance to see his obvious physical inability juxtaposed to Saul's natural born strength and stature. Saul may have been trying to convince David he wasn't capable of fighting such a powerful foe.

Regardless of Saul's motivation, this scene once again shows the stark contrast of the hearts of these two men. Saul's unrepentant heart was far from God. He had broken fellowship with his Lord early in his reign. So, Saul's focus was clearly on the natural, physical, and visible. David, on the other hand, had spent many days and nights in the field tending sheep, talking to God, worshipping the Lord in song and poems, and quietly meditating on God's laws. His heart was close to God's. He was focused on the supernatural, spiritual, and invisible.

That's why we see in the very next verse after David throws off Saul's oversized clown suit, he grabs his staff, five smooth stones, and his shepherd's bag and goes out to face Goliath. But here's where many miss the boat when they look at this story. We hear all the time the allusion to David vs. Goliath in situations where an underdog faces a seemingly insurmountable opponent. When NC State defeated the University of Houston in the NCAA basketball championship, there were numerous commentators excitedly calling the victory David defeating Goliath. But when you really stop and think about it, who was the underdog here? If we understand the power of God, it certainly could not have been David. For scripture depicts David as believing HE was the prohibitive favorite in this UFC fight! And his actions showed it! Verse 48 is my favorite: "...David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine." WOW! He didn't wait for Goliath to come to him. He took the fight right at the Philistine champion!!

Individual talents, intellectual prowess, and physical strength are well and good. But God shows us through David that if He is on your side, those things mean nothing. Don't try and put on a suit of armor that doesn't fit who YOU are. Let God supernaturally use your simple shepherd's staff, smooth stones, and a pouch to do mighty things for Him!

PRAYER: Lord, help me to see You in such a way that allows me to hurry toward those challenges in my life, confident of Your deliverance. So in the end, You receive the glory. Amen.

Gen 49:10 - Jacob Looks Through Window and Sees Saul's Choice?

In response to yesterday's thoughts, I received an email from a dear friend pointing out that Saul's choice in 1 Samuel 13 should not be the focus because in Genesis 49:10, Jacob foretells of Judah (David) as the tribe that would reign and from which would come the Messiah. There are those who would say that God's sovereignty does not allow for an alternative to Saul's unrepentance. He was doomed to fail. He had no real "free will" choice. This is where we must discuss the concept of "Foreknowledge vs. Fatalism" in context of what we see happening in 1 Samuel 13.

Looking back at Genesis 49, we see Jacob, approaching death, proclaiming blessings to his son's. (I wonder why we commonly refer to them as "blessings" since some comments were pretty negative about a few of the brothers.) But anyway, Jacob was clearly given a brief look into the future (foreknowledge) as he prophecied concering, among others, Judah. While I agree that Jacob is clearly seeing the eternal kingdom of David (from the tribe of Judah) producing the promised Messiah, I disagree that Saul's choice was not the central reason for this prophecy coming to pass. Jacob was simply seeing what had transpired after Saul's decision to remain unrepentant as we discussed yesterday. When Saul was faced with his sin, at that moment in time, he had the free will opportunity to repent. (1 Samuel 13)

I think that many who minimize the importance of man's free will(and in this case, Saul's choice to disobey and not repent) fail to understand the essence of prophecy. Prophecy is not the instrument by which events are then set in motion to bring them to pass. Rather, prophecy is a snapshot, video, or window into the future unaffecting the outcome being reported. The actual picture being relayed by Jacob is a product of Saul's free will choice and God's response to still accomplish His purpose - establishing an eternal kingdom from which will come Shilo, our Savior Jesus Christ!

When all else fails, just read the plain language of the text. That's what I learned in law school. Start with the plain language of the statute, and then, if necessary, move to alternative sources. In conclusion, we will restate the text: 1 Samuel 13:13-14: "And Samuel said to Saul, 'You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you. For now the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom will not continue. The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you." (emphasis added)

Can it be any clearer the cause and effect in these two verses? These verses are a beautiful demonstration of both God's sovereign creation of a free will creature and God's sovereign ability to still accomplish His purpose in the face of His sovereign decision to relinquish control over man's decisions.

Sovereignty does not equal fatalistic control. Yet, in man's sinful nature to desire complete control, we tend to want God to exercise that desire of ours for Him to be sovereign...and this is simply not how I believe God is portrayed as He interacts with man.

See? I told you we would be looking at the tough stuff as we move through God's Word.

(1 Samuel 13) Saul Could Have Been Jesus' Descendant?

Seems pretty clear here that Samuel tells Saul that God intended to establish Saul's lineage (Kingdom) in Israel forever. (pretty profound revalation if you ask me) But because of Saul's choice to disobey, God reacts to Saul's disobedience with an alternative route to accomplish His purpose of bringing about the Messiah. Since God's original intention was to establish Saul's kingdom forever as Samuel clearly states, it stands to reason that had Saul obeyed, it would have been his line that could be traced to Christ, not David's. That would be the only way Saul's kingdom in Israel could last forever.

The beauty of how God still fulfills His ultimate purpose and yet allows for Saul to make his free will choice to repent or rebel is shown here. That's the amazing sovereignty of God! We see His sovereignty manifested in two ways:

1) His initial sovereign decision to give Saul free will; and
2) His sovereignty in accomplishing His ultimate purpose of Salvation in rejecting Saul (after Saul refuses to repent) when the Spirit of God left Saul, and choosing another after His own heart to fulfill His purpose. This picture in 1 Samuel 13:13-14is not one of a powerless God at the mercy of Saul's choice. But rather, a sovereign God, who chose to create Saul (us) as free-will creatures in His image, where God can still accomplish His purpose in spite of us.

Certainly, Saul and David were both horrible sinners, unworthy of the grace of God. But the primary distinction between the two is this: Saul was not repentent when his sin was made known to him by Samuel. In stark contrast, when Nathan confronts David in his sin, David was repentent when he responds "I have sinned against the Lord!"...what a difference! The prophets Samuel and Nathan were a foreshadowing of how the Holy Spirit works with us today. We are blind to our own sin until the Holy Spirit comes to shine a light using God's Word to show us our sinfulness. How we respond when we are exposed is the key. Do we try and make excuses like Saul and refuse to admit we were wrong? Or do we fall to our knees and say "I have sinned against the Lord!"?

Had David tried to rationalize his sin or deny it, God would have done the same to David as He did to Saul! God would have rejected David and sought out another king to accomplish his purpose of Salvation. Why did Saul refuse to repent and David fully repented? No man knows the heart of another. And frankly it really doesn't matter. The key is that God's pleased with a repentent heart.

Both Saul and David had a free-will choice. Saul's decision thwarted God's plan for Saul's kingdom to be established forever, thus establishing the messianic line through Saul. But the tragedy was for Saul. Saul lost the blessing God had planned for him. But God's universal purpose was not harmed. God's plan of redemption could not be stopped. God, in His sovereignty, sought out another to fulfill His plan. God perseveres on our behalf! His grace could not be stopped!

Pull Up a Chair and Stay Awhile

This will be an exciting journey for us as we walk through the Bible. But it's not a leisurely hike I plan to take. It's one where we will stop at many vistas and search for truth. I'll ask tough questions. Some that may only be answered when we get home to glory.

This blog will challenge you as it will me. I'm no theologeon. I didn't graduate from Dallas Theological Seminary. But last time I checked, the Holy Spirit didn't limit His illumination of scriptures to formal institutions. Don't get me wrong. I'm not against formal Christian education. But I believe with all my heart that if we allow the Holy Spirit to lead us, truth can be found. And if it is truth, it can be tested by men much wiser than us. I do not profess to be wiser than any reader. In fact, I can only understand scripture as God humbles me to a point of submission.

I am starting this blog as I find myself in 1 Samuel. Our journey will start here. Threshing is no easy job. It involves dust, sweat, heat, and muscle. Come on in. Let's thresh out the truth together...